mondojohnson

I often load up my Blockbuster DVD queue in a frenzy, adding dozens of titles at a time. A consequence of this is my occasional confusion when certain DVDs arrive: “why the hell did I want to see this?…”

2000 Years of Christianity, Episode 9 was such an occasion. I had honestly forgotten why I wanted to see this one specific episode of a religious documentary. My confusion was happily brushed aside when I saw the “directed by…” credit: episode 9, “God and the Burdened”, was directed by my man Werner Herzog. 

It explores the Christianity of the people of Guatemala. Why does the religion of the conquistadores continue to resonate with the native Indian population? Without a word of narration, we are given a clue in the opening sequence. A strange, spooky technicolor parade depicting the stations of the cross is intercut with footage of stooped peasants carrying huge burdens with steady dignity.

The history of the Spanish invasion and Aztec genocide are shown through the sole surviving indigenous account. Called the “codex,” it depicts this history using brightly colored illustrations. It describes the conquistadores as godlike, and recall the astonishment the Aztecs felt beholding European technology. From here the story is familiar: a relatively tiny number of Spainards essentially destroyed an entire civilization (read Jared Diamond‘s Guns, Germs and Steel for a good overview).

We are then shown elaborate rituals conducted within the chapel of San Simon. These reveal that Christianity adapted itself to the native religion — rather than the other way around, as happened in Europe. There is an intense use of tobacco and burnt offerings to “Maxcimon”, who is depicted as a farmer. Christianity’s actual Saint Simon is relegated to a glass box in the corner.

We are discouraged, however, from concluding that the people are practicing some kind of “stealth paganism” in order to deny Christianity. They have truly synthesized the two, as we learn while listening to a passionate sermon at the final stage of the cross. As the mannequin of Jesus is being ceremonially removed from the cross, the speaker recalls the most famous of all last words: “My God, why have you forsaken me?” He said that remembering these words would ennoble their suffering: even the Son of God felt deep despair and abandonment (I’m paraphrasing very clumsily).

In the end we are reminded again of the Guatemalan’s sturdy endurance, and are warned not to simplify or dismiss anything so personal as faith. A good point, especially for an incessantly crabby atheist like myself. All this in 44 minutes. Absolutely brilliant Herzog… it would make a great double bill with Aguirre: Wrath of God. My only complaint is that Herzog did not do the narration himself: the words were so clearly his that I longed to hear his broken English baritone saying them.